


Coming Home

by tipsyGnostic



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: F/M, Gen, Most of the time, Universitystuck, basically I just wanted a typical college fic with the Beta kids all together, because I like my babies being happy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-04
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-03 13:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1070885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tipsyGnostic/pseuds/tipsyGnostic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your name is Jade Harley and your world is about to come crashing down around you. But that's okay. You're on a roller coaster that's only going up from here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: This Too Shall Pass

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alchemic_rose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemic_rose/gifts), [my moirail because she's the one that inspired me to start writing again](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=my+moirail+because+she%27s+the+one+that+inspired+me+to+start+writing+again).



> I've only got about three(ish) chapters written up so far and I'm really pretty terrible at updating these things. But I really enjoy this story and its the most fun I've had writing a more mature, serious kind of topic.

It was too bright inside and there was a persistent pounding in her head, a steady tempo that hummed and throbbed beneath her skin. Voices drifted in and out and she was wedged in a state of awareness and disbelief.  _Was he really dead?_   _Was any of this really happening?_

Jade sat there in the tiny island hospital emergency room, fingers knotted together and gaze linked with the doctor standing before her. He was a tall man with average build, pepper colored hair and a matching beard. He had a severe mouth but his voice was temperate, nothing like his appearance portrayed. The doctor went on, hands clasped in front of him as she nodded at the right moments. She heard what he was saying but could not listen to anything pouring out of the man’s mouth.

How could he stand there and talk to her with such a calm demeanor while her insides were churning and tearing apart from the inside? How could he lie to her this way? Grandpa was supposed to be coming home from another of his overnight excursions right now. They were going to make a grand dinner and swing dance and maybe sneak in a little time to see her friend Feferi before she left with her parents back to Lithuania. But here was this doctor with his spotless coat and spotless shoes and unsympathetic face telling her that her beloved Guardian was dead.

It was a mistake;  _a lie_. It couldn't be happening, not to her. This was straight out of one of those dramatic movies, any moment the doctor would crack an apologetic smile and the door would burst open with her grandpa's lean frame behind it. Any moment she would wake up from this nightmare. Jade blinked, her dry eyes closing out the world for that split second before opening again, taking in everything. And then she knew; the only family she’d ever had was never going to come back.  
  
There would be no one to see her graduate from high school. No one to see her start college, get a job. No one to walk her down the aisle.  _Head on collision_.  _Nothing they could do_.  _He was dead upon arrival_.  _We’re very sorry Miss Harley_. Sorry wasn’t going to bring her Grandpa back to life. Sorry wasn’t going to undo the travesty of losing the only family she had ever known and loved. But sorry was all Jade Harley was going to get.  
  
\--- **00** \---  
  
Four days after the funeral was held Jade received a telephone call from her grandfather’s lawyer from the mainland. He’d started off by asking her how she was doing, and he was very sincere when he asked, but Jade knew there was really only one reason he was calling her. The state of her grandfather’s will was, to put it lightly, an eccentric roller coaster of somber instructions and slightly unconventional requests. It consisted mostly of what to do with the multiple estates scattered across the country and the main estate he and Jade ( _well, it was just her now_ ) lived. After the estates were his portraits of famous cinema ladies painted in blue and his vast collection of big game trophies, all of which would be either donated to charity or distrubted among his remaining family.  
  
The girl declined both the portraits and the trophies, signing them off to be delivered to a charity auction effective immidiately. Jade wasn't too upset to see the trophies go, although she did stare at the portraits apologetically for perhaps longer than she should have. There were some keepsakes she couldn't take with her; those were among them. Afterwards they discussed the terms and conditions of the funds he’d left for her when she became of age and what would happen from then on. He explained, with a sincere voice and clear apology upon his aging face, that she’d be moving from her island home in New Zealand to Seattle.  
  
Apparently her uncle and cousin were the closet next of kin besides Jade herself and her grandfather expressed specifically that Jade's uncle be her foster-father. She was apprehensive about it all but decided to make the best of her situation. After all what else could she do? Sit and scream till she lost her voice altogether was simply  _not_  going to happen, she was stronger than that. She'd been raised to be stronger than that.  
  
Once they'd gotten the neccesities out of the way, the lawyer repeated the same condolences as they wrapped up for the evening. He listed his number to both his personal cellphone and home phone before bidding Jade goodnight, leaving the teenager to stare at the phone cradle momentarily lost in a daze. Everything still seemed so surreal, as if any moment she would wake up and run down the stairs at the sound of the front door slamming closed and her grandpa's booming voice shouting for her to come see his newest addition to their immeasurable collection. As much as she wanted to, she was far too logical to allow her mind to trick her so easily. In less than two weeks time she would be moving from the only home she’d known to an entirely foreign region, a different country even.

Jade had so much packing to do, things to sell and much more to put away in storage before she could even  _begin_  to think about what her new life was going to be like. As the ebony haired girl shuffled back into the parlor room she was joined by her large furry companion, Bec. He nuzzled his wet nose into the inside of her wrist, giving the patch of skin there one lick, making her lips quirk up in a small smile. She’d had him since she was a little girl and he was just a pup, no bigger than the palm of her hand. Now he towered over her, his great white fuzzy head twice the size of her own. He was her only family, though she sincerely wanted to call her uncle and cousin that as well.

Her grandpa always mentioned them in passing, followed with a fond smile and a story to proceed it, so Jade wasn’t concerned about whether or not she would get along with them. Jade had grown up rather isolated on the island however, her only interactions were her grandpa and the occasional vacationing family who came to visit them. She was a bit socially awkward when it came to interacting with other people. She much preferred a room full of books or spending time in her garden. People were a bit  _tricky_.

Settling down in front of the rows of large brown moving boxes, Jade continued to wrap up some of the more fragile of the eclectic collection gathered there. The portrait of her grandpa stared dotingly down at her from its spot above the fireplace, as if to say he was happy to see her staying busy. Jade smiled softly to herself as she wrapped glass vials and iron statues in packing paper, occasionally pausing to glance up at the portrait. Bec gave a soft huff and nudged his big furry head into her side, curled up beside her leg like a protective parent. It was a comforting motion and exactly what Jade needed to pull her thoughts away from the melancholy mood trying to take hold of her.  
  
"It’ll be okay Bec, its just a new adventure."


	2. Chapter One: Airports And Arrivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the official first chapter. Its pretty short but I think it came out fairly well otherwise.

**Chapter One  
** **Airports & Arrivals**

  
The sun was just dipping below the trees when the plane to Seattle landed, nothing but lush green and patches of ice and snow littering the ground. It was such a stark contrast to the exotic plants and flowers of Jade's island that she was instantly homesick. She followed the throng of people to the baggage claim and stood amongst the crowd, waiting for her own suitcase to emerge. As she waited, Jade fell into a mild daze, her thoughts wandering to her furry best friend. Though she was looking forward to meeting her uncle and cousin for the first time, she was still apprehensive about being so far away from home.  
  
She was so nervous about what was to come that she barely noticed her bag coming down the metal chute. Jade lifted the medium sized suitcase off the revolving platform and began the trek towards the main entrance of the airport, gaze wandering as she ambled along. She followed the instructions given to her by her uncle like a mantra in her head; go down the escalator, take a left through the terminal and exit the lobby. He assured her that Bec would be there with them when she arrived. Jade was more than grateful that he and his son were so willing to take her in when they barely knew her, taking Bec in too was merely another reason why Jade wanted to let them know she was indebted to them.  
  
She'd spoken to both her uncle and her cousin John often over the course of three weeks, helping them settle affairs for her on the mainland while she wrapped up things that needed to be taken care of on the island. From the sound of their voices alone, Jade thought they seemed like kind and thoughtful people. John had a certain mischief to him that Jade knew she was going to like. He assured her he would hold off on any major pranks until she had settled in. John had told her in earnest detail that as soon as she was settled in she would be enrolled into his school and he had promised to introduce her to his small group of friends.  
  
Jade was a little apprehensive about this but had told herself on the plane that this was going to be a good thing for her. Grandpa Harley had always talked about taking her to the mainland once she was finished with high school. They had talked about settling down, not quite in America, but she supposed it didn't matter now. It seemed a year early would have to do.  
  
Above her head read the arrival times and destinations in bright bold letters, the flashing board indicating that she had arrived to the main lobby. A nervous churning began in her stomach as she looked around the large airport, green eyes searching for two familiar faces. She didn't have to look far before an excited bark and a yelp of surprise erupted from the back of the crowd milling around. Next thing Jade knew she was barreled down by her furry companion, an exasperated John Egbert running after him.  
  
"Good boy! You found her." John chuckled, blue eyes crinkling in amusement as he watched Bec lick Jade's face enthusiastically. "I missed you too!" The girl exclaimed, laughing as she accepted the hand John held out to her, the other using the ruff of Bec’s neck to help her stay balanced. Once she was safely on her feet, John wasted no time in enveloping his cousin into a bone crushing hug. “It’s so cool finally meeting you!” John exclaimed, loosening his grip on the girl.  
  
“It’s nice meeting you too!” Jade gasped between giggles, recovering from the tight hold. “Thank you so much for taking care of Bec. I hope he didn't give you any trouble.” She sighed, stroking the top of said furry beast’s head affectionately. John mocked a scoff, waving his hand at her. “Don’t worry about it. He was very well behaved. Dad already loves him!” At the mention of his father, John began turning around, standing up on his tiptoes ( _even being 6 feet tall, it was hard to see over so many people_ ) trying to locate his father in the crowd.  
  
“He was right behind me…” John murmured to himself, squinting as he scoured the crowd. His face lit up in recognition and he began waving his arms wildly about, Jade watching him the entire time with a bemused smile on her face. Mr. Egbert stepped around then, tipping his hat to an older couple who he had apparently been chatting with. He smiled as he drew closer to the two teens, drawing the noir haired girl into a tight hug of his own.  
  
“You've grown up so much my dear! I am so, so-“  
  
“Dad _please_ , save that for when we get home!”  
  
The two shared a laugh at that, Jade smiling bashfully as she was let go. “Thank you Uncle John.” She mumbled, voice warbling with gratitude. John took Jade’s suitcase then, his father taking Jade’s backpack from her and smiling as he ushered them along, Bec following close behind. As they left the airport, John chattered with Jade about their home, what she could expect from the school and how much fun he hoped she would have when he introduced her to his friends.  
  
Jade listened to him with rapt attention, absently running her fingers through the thick white fur of Bec’s neck as he leaned his head over the back seat. For the first time since her life had been turned topsy-turvy, she felt like she was truly coming home.  
  
  
 --- **00** \---  
  
  
It would take some getting used to, but Jade found that the cold weather was not quite as bad as she initially thought it would be. She layered an ivory long-sleeved shirt with a charcoal grey knit sweater and dark jeans, throwing on her grandfather’s old bomber jacket as she stepped out of her room and descended the stairs. Mr. Egbert had offered to make them an old family recipe roast but John had insisted they go out instead. Partly to show Jade around and also, he’d later confided, because his father wasn't exactly the best cook. Jade smiled appreciatively anyway, kissing Bec on his large snout in farewell as they stepped outside.  
  
John made a game of pointing out some of the landmarks around town as they drove to the Greek restaurant downtown, an old favorite of John’s Nanna when she was a young girl. Jade beamed shyly as he talked, caught up in his enthusiasm and disposition. She liked that he wanted her to feel like she was a part of the family without overwhelming her. Mr. Egbert was just as welcoming, subtle in his inclusion and always listening when she spoke. It helped fill the loneliness that had begun to take over after her grandpa’s passing.  
  
It was still early evening when they finished dinner and at her uncle’s suggestion John took Jade to see the town central plaza, where most of the main stores and attractions were nestled together. Her eyes immediately caught sight of the natural history of science museum and John chuckled when he saw the astonishment on her face. “Do you want to go next week?” He asked her, his lips curving into an infectious grin. Jade tried not to seem too excited at first but at the genuine smile on his face she simply couldn't resist an eager nod of her head with an excited “Yes please!” following close behind. “I can’t wait until you meet my friends,” he snickered, nudging her along as they made their way back to the car. “You and Vriska are going to get along great, I just know it.”  
  
So far, from what John had told her about each of his friends, they seemed like an eccentric bunch of people. She only had a couple friends back on the island, one she only got to see every other month when they visited from Lithuania. Feferi at least continued to stay in touch with her, sending her letters and packages every chance she got despite the distance. However John seemed so earnest in his desire to make her feel welcome that Jade decided she could at least _try_ to get along with them, no matter what they were like. It was the least she could do.


	3. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took forever to update. I was never satisfied with how it came out and I finally just threw up my hands and said 'eff it' sooooo I apologize for any mistakes and overall suckage.

**Chapter Three**   
**Settling In**

  
A small pile of books lay open on the floor of Jade's bedroom and the girl herself was sprawled on the floor of her room, nose buried in research papers and eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Her long dark hair was twisted around a yellow sunflower adorned pencil in a half-bun, with strands falling out in odd angles, one long piece draped over her bare shoulder. The sleeve of her stretchy navy shirt had been slipping down her shoulder and now it pooled around her elbow and she hadn't bothered to right the article of clothing. It was the first week of her enrollment into John's school, and like her studies before on the island, she threw herself into her classes with eagerness and an appetite for academic fulfillment.  
  
Jade was a bookworm at heart and it showed.  
  
She'd just finished the closing passage to her research paper when someone knocked on her door. Bec lifted his head at the sound, his tail wagging and thumping across the back of Jade's knees. She twisted around at the waist to look at her door. Her shoulders and neck protested the action after spending so long lying on her belly, but she ignored the pins and needles feeling shooting up her arms. "Yes?" Jade called out.  
  
Mr. Egbert's kind face appeared through the crack in the door and he smiled at her warmly, a smile she returned just as quickly. "Just came to check up on you, I made some cookies if you're interested." He said his tone coaxing. He'd taken to gently reminding Jade in the form of baked goods when he felt she'd studied or worked on homework long enough. It was amusing to him that while his adopted daughter had to be dragged away from her schoolwork; his son had a habit of fighting tooth and nail to avoid doing his own. They were quite a pair indeed and it pleased Mr. Egbert tremendously that his father's traits had not been lost down the line.  
  
At the mention of cookies, Bec's head immediately lifted, ears perking up and forward.  
  
Jade's eyes lit up at the mention of sugar and a smile spread across her face as she closed her notebook. Bec was quick on his paws, bounding out the door and down the stairs, not even waiting for his girl to get up herself. "I keep forgetting not to say the _C_ word." Mr. Egbert chuckled, his eyes crinkling. "He's smart like that. But okay! I guess I could take a break." Jade mused, even though it was obvious that was exactly what she was going to do, if her eager smile was anything to go by.  
  
"Downstairs we go then, John's already in the kitchen." He said, turning around and following after Bec. Jade beamed and pushed most of her books aside, picking herself up off the floor and descending the stairs after tucking her papers back into her books.  
  
John was sitting in the kitchen when she walked in, begrudgingly chewing on a clump of cookie dough while he typed away on his laptop, his shoulders bent in concentration. Jade grinned as she snuck up behind him, snatched the ball of dough from his plate, and popped it into her mouth. His shoulders jumped and he twisted around in his chair before realizing it was only his sister. "Geez, you scared me!" He chuckled, punching Jade in the shoulder gently and turning back around to continue typing.  
  
"Sorry! I couldn't resist." She replied.  
  
She leaned against the back of his chair and tilted her head as she watched rows of blue and purple text fill up his screen. "That doesn't look like your Economics essay." She teased, poking the side of his cheek and dancing out of the way when his elbow came up in retaliation. "That's because it's _not_." He said, pretending to look aggravated though he was anything but.  
  
She could tell by the crinkle to his eyes and the way he bit his lip to hold back his grin.  
  
Jade rolled her eyes and meandered over to the plate of freshly baked sugar cookies set aside on the counter. She picked one up and as she took a bite a loud chime came from John's computer. She quirked a brow at him over the top of his laptop and he smiled sheepishly. "Video call." He said, in way of explanation for the noise. A moment later John's face lit up and he launched into a rather exuberant greeting, even for him.  
  
Obviously it was from someone he knew.  
  
"Hey Dave! Rose and I were _just_ talking about you." Static, followed by a slightly sardonic sounding snort, came from the other end and Jade found herself growing curious. She'd heard about these friends of John's but had never actually seen or talked to them. Which was to be expected, she'd only recently been settled into the Egbert family's life, there were still plenty of things they each hadn't shown or told her about yet. "Whatever Chutulu-whisperer said I don't want to know." John's friend, Dave she was pretty sure John said his name was, scoffed, a slight drawl bleeding through his tone of mock annoyance. Or was it genuine aggravation?  
  
He sounded like one of those kids who were constantly using dry sarcasm that no matter what they said it never sounded sincere one way or the other. John didn't seem affronted in the least, merely rolled his eyes and chuckled at his best friend. "Then I won't tell you. Anyway," he continued, and then paused before meeting his sister's curious gaze across the room. John beamed at her before giving his friend on the other side of the screen an eager glance.  
  
"That's right! Dave have you met my sister, Jade?"  
  
"Technically I'm your cousin." She pointed out, taking another bite of the sugary treat and chewed thoughtfully. She caught the way John was looking between the screen and her with an impish smile, the one that promised pranks and a fierce retribution via rubber snakes in his bed, and suddenly felt a little nervous. It was never a good thing when John Egbert got that look on his face. Ever.  
  
The expression was gone as quickly as it had come and Jade felt her shoulders loosen from the brief tension.  
  
She wasn't about to completely let her guard down however; she was wising up to her brother's bouts of practical joking. There would be no bucket of ice cold water dropping onto her head tonight, mark her words.  
  
"True," John finally said, his smile wide and matching buck teeth pressing down on his lower lip. "But you're practically my sister anyway so why not introduce you as such" He finished, motioning for her to come stand beside him so she could say hello.  
  
Jade didn't mind; in fact it made her very pleased and filled her up with a sense of belonging when John referred to her as his sister or when her uncle introduced her as his daughter. As if she'd always been family to them. Technically she always had been, but now she felt it, the way she'd felt it before. Her family was still here, just a little smaller than it used to be.  
  
She remembered Mr. Egbert broaching the subject of adoption with such a gentle and understanding look on his face, as if telling her not so much in words but in his demeanor that it was entirely her choice. To have it official and legal was a whole new level of special. She knew her grandpa would have been pleased with the arrangement too.  
  
Coming back to the present, Jade stepped away from the counter and joined John at the table, intending to say a quick hello and then escape back to her bedroom. Heaven forbid she say something silly and stumble over her words, proving what an unsociable country bumpkin she was.  
  
"I guess nobody bothered to tell me you had either of those. Dude I thought we were bros." Dave sighed, earning a snort from John and a giggle from Jade.  
  
"I was hiding her until this _very_   moment." John deadpanned, wiggling his fingers.  
  
"It's nice to meet you." Jade laughed.  
  
She smiled as she finally got a good look at the boy on the screen. He was blonde, with a boyish smirk and round face. He didn't look much older than them but that was as far as she could tell. The black aviator sunglasses perched on his narrow nose sort of threw her off. She wondered briefly if he'd been outside or if he'd simply forgotten he was still wearing them. "Nice meeting you too, hope the Egderp household hasn't been too stifling." He responded, his voice smoother than when he'd first begun speaking.  
  
John seemed to be eyeing the exchange rather critically while Jade smiled shyly, meeting his (shaded) glance, her arm resting over the top of John's shoulders comfortably. If she didn't know any better, she'd say Dave was _flirting_ with her. But that could be her being a typical teenage girl talking to a cute boy for the first time in what felt like ages. He was friends with John, and though she'd been introduced to a few of his friends so far, she'd often heard three special names separated from the rest.  
  
These were John's closest friends; therefore she felt the need for approval all too keenly.  
  
Regardless she supposed now was a good time to leave John to his conversation and get back to her homework before she forgot it entirely. She hated to leave an assignment unfinished. Twisting her fingers into her hair, she smoothed it back out of her face and lifted her chin to smile at the blonde haired boy and her brother. "Alright then, I'll let you two catch up. Unlike John who waits until the last minute, I kind of want to finish my homework _before_ its due." She said with a friendly smile and a pointed look at John, giving the boy on the other side of the screen a wave.  
  
John stuck his tongue out at her and she giggled, giving her brother a half-hug before exiting the kitchen, John's voice drifting away.  
  
On the way back to the stairs Jade bumped into her father and laughed at the sight of Bec right at his heels. Bec's tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, his thick fuzzy tail wagging at extreme speeds as he jumped up to set his paws on Jade's thighs and lick her chin with a soft bark. "Are you being a good boy for dad?" She asked in a mock motherly tone, scratching the sides of Bec's neck and kissing the tip of his wet nose. He retaliated by slobbering all over her cheek, making her laugh as she tried to avoid getting her face licked off by her dog.  
  
"I think he just likes that I spoil him with _you-know-what's._ " Mr. Egbert replied, running a hand over Bec's head affectionately once he'd hopped down from licking Jade's face. "Maybe!" The girl laughed and smiled sweetly at her father, ruffling Bec's neck and taking the stairs two at a time, a skip to her step and her heart swollen with affection for her family and their company.


End file.
